Rules of engagement

Ok, my profile is now live; dodgy pictures, slightly inaccurate sales pitch of my personality and all. For some reason, whilst I was just window-shopping on the site (pre-actual profile), it seemed like a great idea and the doorway to endless dating opportunities. Now, it feels like a looks based popularity contest, and the idea of my face being up there and in the mix is utterly terrifying.

I had been live for about ten minutes before I got two responses to my half uploaded profile – smooth, Miss P, smooth! Fortunately, I decided that I was able to assume that, seeing as they were responding to pictures and not content, I didn’t actually have to reply to or acknowledge them, but now I’ve had a couple of  ‘Likes’ (cringe) and messages from people who’ve had a proper look over my profile, and I’m curious, do I actually have to reply to everyone that contacts me?  

            It seems like a weird thing to say, but in my head, every single outreach of communication warrants a response – I’m one of those suckers that always has to say “No thank you” to the Big Issue sellers, who stops to tell the charity fundraisers that I don’t have time to stop as I have to get back to work, and at work, I reply to each and every outreach email and call, even when they tell me not to bother. Maybe it’s politeness, or maybe it’s just that I hate leaving a conversation hanging and only half complete. Regardless, you can imagine my discomfort at basically ignoring people who are trying to play the same game as I am, and more so, because they have been brave enough to make contact, whilst I am currently keeping quiet and just trying to get used to the whole thing.

Do I want to start communication with pretty much all of the people that have contacted me so far? No, no I don’t. Do I want to reply to them? No. Would I, if there weren’t rules to be stuck to? Hells no. But that’s just so rude! Plus, it’s a game, and I want to make sure that I’m playing it properly. I don’t want to be the one that breaks the rules, but I also don’t want to be the sucker that ends up having long and drawn out emails with a man I am clearly never going to meet, who just wants to talk to someone about his love of sci-fi.

I suppose, seeing as the whole point of Slutty Suppers is that we get to open these questions up to the floor and get some feedback from our fellow sluts, I am going to need to refer back to the rule makers and breakers. I’ll be sure to let you know what the general opinion is on this one. God, I hope they don’t tell me that I have to email back each and every crazy that approaches me. Please, please, please!